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12% Letter
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40 Subscriber Reviews of 12% Letter
Review by Raymond OBrien, February 7, 2009
They don’t produce any responses through the mo. and sometimes not even the mo newsletter. Very disappointing
Review by kern50440, February 7, 2009
The first recommendation I took was to buy FRE.PRP a no way to loose 10% return guaranteed by the government, went from 20 to less than 1!!
Review by Jim Fisher, February 9, 2009
This family of newsletters urges you to use a “25% trailing stop”. One recommended purchase I made collapsed more than 50% one day after I bought it. I have lost a ton of money investing with this guy.I have not renewed my subscription.
Review by spreadtrader, February 13, 2009
Subscribed from 1/08-4/08. Within a few months of finding the Gumshoe (2/08) I figured out that all “for fee” newsletter writers are entertainers, not traders. Over the course of the past year, and through the Gumshoe forum I learned of numerous investments that yield 15%-30% and are significantly safer than the blind “buy and hold with a 25% stop” recommendations put out by this service. The reason this particular service is so insidious is that most income investors seek safety as a primary consideration to invest. This newsletter is unsafe, primarily because its editors do not know how to trade, which is no longer a surprise to me.
Review by custer, February 14, 2009
I won’t renew my subscription. Haven’t seen any recommendations that seemed to live up to his high income goals without obvious high risks.
Review by Bbo Grievews, February 14, 2009
***
Review by Sarge, February 23, 2009
Been following Tom for a year or so. Am not a trader, so love the dividends from pretty safe companies. I see nothing particularly risky in averaging down in solid companies like those recommended.
Review by Carl, February 23, 2009
I’ve been a subscriber for several years and have consistently made money most of the time with the obvious exception of the recent market ‘dump’ which has had its toll on just about every strategy.
Review by Robert Cassa, February 23, 2009
Have made money from Realty Income O never would have known of them.Would never tired covered calls.Gives good fundamentals for traders and investors to START research on.
Review by Peter Handley, February 23, 2009
The 12% letter is one of the moreinteresting newsletters that I have ever subcribed to. The author Tom Dyson does not talk down to subscribers He subscribes to the viewpopint that the only way to make gauranteed returns is to thoroughly research your investments before you commit to them. He explains his thinking and leaves the choice to you. His newsletter is split 50-50 between investments (stocks) and covered calls on blue chip stocks. I had never understood the covered call methodology until Tom explained it fully in his newsletter. If you want to make a really worthwhile investment in a newsletter I can recimmend the 12% letter.
Review by Nils, February 23, 2009
They have the same recommendations all the other dividend letters. However they complicate it a little bit by recommending option plays in combination with their stock recommendations.
Review by Randall S., February 24, 2009
I bought two energy companies that tanked and he sold the next month. We’ll see what happens with Iowa Telephone; it’s down from where I bought it but it’s still in the portfolio. I am learning from the covered call strategy.
Review by CCW, February 24, 2009
I bought this as part of a “lifetime” package deal of five Stansberry newsletters. Now still pay about $150 maintenance fee and sorta feel locked in.
Tom got caught like most by the severity of the drop. Now has reco several large cap “super safe” stocks with decent dividends, then recos some covered calls to boost income. Of course it doesn’t work in an IRA. And even those stocks have dropped by 10-15% already. Tom is now supplementing his monthly with a weekly to try to keep abreast of the market better which is a good idea. But as for results, most of my portfolio is in Stanberry recos, and I’m down 50% from a year ago. I’d done just as well with S&P index. So no value except sometimes educational reading.
Review by JRW, February 24, 2009
Very good research and consistent strategy; average financial results
Review by PKS, February 24, 2009
I have been a subscriber for, I think, some 5+ years. I have been an investor for over 30 years. I am now at age in which I don’t want the risk associated with spectacular returns. I just want a good steady and dependable decent return. That’s exactly what Tom has provided.
Review by EA, February 25, 2009
this is my second year because tom reacted as markets went down with new strategies.Some picks needs more support
Review by Pat, February 26, 2009
THE 12% LETTER IS ALL OF THE ABOVE. I HAVE USED SOME OF THE ADVICE..BUT I’M NOT AN ACTIVE TRADER…JUST ONE WHO LIKES TO KEEP A STOCK FOR AT LEAST A YEAR. I SUBSCRIBED AT HALF PRICE WHEN HE HAD A SPECIAL. I ESPECIALLY LIKE HIS WEEKLY UPDATES…IT HELPS KEEP THE MARKET IN PERSPECTIVE.
I DON’T PLAN TO ENTER THE MARKET UNTIL CONGRESS GETS RID OF ALL THE TAXPAYER CHEATS AND ESPECIALLY FRANK AND DODD AND PUT THOSE CONTROLS BACK ON. THEY HAVE PLAYED TOO FAST AND LOOSE WITH OUR TAX DOLLARS AND UNTIL THEY INDICT THESE PEOPLE, I’M ON THE SIDELINES! BUT THE 12% LETTER IS TRULY A GOOD REPORT AND HE ISN’T FOREVER SELLING YOU A SUBSCRIPTION!
Review by JR Eric, February 27, 2009
I do more reading than trading, but have found several issues that yield excellent returns. Have not tried the covered call strategy yet, but no one I know of explains it better.
Review by johnK, March 18, 2009
I always look forward to my 12% newslwtter. It is good reading.
I have about broke even during the past year with THIS newsletter.
My deferred comp account at work is down almost 50%, so I think a break even is great.
The dividends keep rolling in. One could do a lot better using the covered call strategy.
All S&A publications are loud and clear that you are responsible for your own investment decisions. They talk about due diligence a lot. I appreciate their transparency and the tidbits of investment process advise ie. investment size, max entry price, percentage of portfolio, stops and even redemption advice.
All I can say is don’t buy the hype for new products or subscriptions unless you really want to take advantage of the refund policy if the product truly is not for you.
I will remain an S&A subscriber for a long time.
Review by JPA, March 21, 2009
Only quite recently has Tom Dyson started with the covered calls. Covered calls aren’t for everyone and I prefer to just buy stocks and not mess with option trading. That being said, many of his investment recommendations are okay and do yield double digit returns. I am undecided as to whether I will renew because too much space is now devoted to option trading.
Review by CoolSoupy, March 21, 2009
12% Letter - Stransberry Associates
Reasonably priced high income advisory that recommends covered call options in this volitale market.
You will outgrow it as you become more proficient but great for beginners.
Review by L.L., March 21, 2009
Subscribed almost a year ago. Was disappointed, not much consistency. Less hype than most.
Review by Parry laird, April 10, 2009
This newsletter was and is a LOSER
Review by Ray Miller, April 17, 2009
I subscribed to this newsletter beginning in Jan. 2009. It is very clear and concise about what you need to do. The editor is informative and tells it like it is. This newletter suits my investment style–it doesn’t shoot for the moon but provides lower risk options that provide better than average gains. My first trade is right on track with the recommendation.
Review by johnK, April 17, 2009
This is my second post. I couldn’t resist. My dividends seem to accumulate faster than stock prices go down (at least if you follow ALL S&A’s investing methodologies.)
I don’t know about other subscribers, but my in-box gets a weekly update and an in-depth monthly pub. (sometimes it is five or six weeks in a month for Tom Dyson) Much better than that Robot guy.
If you want to make 12% a year, subscribe. If you are focused and diligent, you will make more!
Review by Joan, April 19, 2009
Tom Dyson does his research and usually recommends solid, dividend paying companies, and he writes clearly. Don’t get in a guffuffle about the Stansberry hype - that’s just how they sell newsletters. Unfortunate that they don’t ever tell you the potential downside of their recommendations, though - they tell you why you should buy something. not the risk. But you can go to Morningstar.com’s Analyst Reports for that. They have a section on each stock called, “Bulls say…” (about the particular stock) and another called “Bears say…” so that you always get both sides of the story. After all, for every buyer, there’s a seller!
Review by Mike Pearson, April 23, 2009
Another great product from the Stansberry. Good strategy but if you don’t follow the trailing stops you can’t bitch when if you lose on one of his recommendations. The team at Stansberry puts out some excellent research but their marketing is so outrageous that most can’t help but be a little disappointed when they realize these guys are human like the rest of us. Overall a very good product, but don’t use it as an excuse to not do your own homework on his picks.
Review by Joe, May 5, 2009
I subscribed to thios a few months ago.
I have been using only ONE of their investment strategies and that is what they call the “dividend capture”
It’s a goofy name to describe doing very short term Covered call options.
You don’t make a lot on each trade but they start to add up and it is a conservative strategy.
They make it easy for those of us trhat don’t have a lot of time. You get an email on Thursday telling you to buy Stock X and a specific strike price call option which expires the next month.
When the expiration time comes around you get an email to remind you about that.
Small amounts but they add up over time.
I think it is worth the $99 per year cost.
Review by Russ Richards, May 7, 2009
I have been a subscriber for less than a year. I have invested in only a few of the recommendations of the newsletter, but have noted that several of the recommendations have done very poorly. The newsletter has been promoting the use of covered calls with top quality blue chip stocks. I have been employing that strategy for a while and it is a solid strategy. However, the 12% Letter recommends that when options expire, the investor then sell the underlying stock and initiate new positions with different companies. That strategy does not make sense to me — why not just write a new option against the same stock? Minimize churning. I get a bit irritated at the constant promotion of other related newsletters.
Review by Barney1208, May 25, 2009
I have been a subscriber for a few months and have just started to use their recommended covered call strategy in blue chips. Since I only invest long term in blue chip stocks, this strategy suits my style just fine and boosts my return a few percentage points to boot. Very educational writeups in his monthly reports. Can’t complain.
Review by Jimbo, May 26, 2009
Made money on several picks. I check picks against other sources such as S&P, Value Line etc.
Review by Joe, May 26, 2009
I subscribed to this several months ago and quickly realized that I needed education so after extensively studying up on Options and Covered Calls,I felt I was ready to give it a try.
I have made most of their Covered call picks for 3 of the past months and have made money on all of them. Granted, a few that I wanted to keep got called away from me but I am very pleased with the extra money I have been making.
My one regret is that I did not do this MUCH earlier because the 12% letter has become almost 100% dedicated to short term covered calls and they explain that this stragey is only good during a very volatile market (ie. VIX is > 30) which these days it is not so I am not able to ,aximize this great strategy.
I have learned anough from them that I will not be renewing as I can now figure out good stocks to do short term covered calls on.
I have NOT done any of their long term calls as I can’t see how one can look at anything long term with this market.
I must admit that I was annoyed when they talked about ’scammming’ a company by ’simply enter this code into the stock symbol’ - They were hiding the fact thast this was simply doing naked calls which is VERY risky and my broker,Scottrade. does not even allow it.
I gave a bad score to customer service because I have emailed them many times on NON investing advice topics but have never gotten ANY response. Nothing super important (thats what phones are for) but I do not like being ignored
Review by FishGrill, May 28, 2009
Lets see, Joe you emailed about NON-investing items and never got a response gee wonder why. You made money on every trade and still you cry
People like you give a good newsletter a bad name just by being stupid.
Tom is great, the letter is worth the 99 bucks.
You should just sit on the couch and eat cookies
Review by Joe, June 1, 2009
Hey FishGrill , you must have trouble with the English language.
I wrote a very Positive review about the 12% letter,said I made money on it,learned a lot,blah,blah.
Not sure what you thought you read. Did you even look at the rating stars I gave it?
I made a point of saying NON investment advice emails because they tell you that they can NOT give such advice. It’s obvious that you did not read their fine print – no surprise there
The customer service I was referring to was emailing them with,for example, a question about which special report had discussed a particular stock that I could not find in their portfolio.
Thanks for discouraging people from giving their personal reviews on this site. I Write a review and then get jumped on. Way to go! God I hate people like you.
Review by Chris, July 9, 2009
12% Letter is great - good for income or compounding-oriented investors. Stansberry idealogues and spam are not. Wouldn’t recommend any of the other newsletters in the stable, and if you subscribe, get a really good SPAM filter.
Review by G.E.C, July 12, 2009
Signed up for the free trail and haven’t been able to cancel even though I tried several emails. No response. Same for several other S&A subscriptions. I now have disputes to the credit card company for credit to their subscription charges
Review by J.P.L, August 2, 2009
Response to G.E.C.
S&A has always been very good ( to me) in providing pro-rata or full refunds for cancelled subscriptions. However, you need to phone them, instead of emailing.
Hope the above helps, and good luck.
Review by Bob Wilber, August 6, 2009
I don’t regularly use this newsletter, so I’m not going to comment on its performance. I just want to respond to CCW above, who wrote, “…recos some covered calls to boost income. Of course it doesn’t work in an IRA. And even those stocks have dropped by 10-15% already.”
If you sign the right forms you can use options in an IRA. In my IRA I can buy calls and puts, sell covered calls, sell puts, and buy or sell call and put spreads. However, no margin can be used. If I sell a put I have to have all the cash needed to buy the stock at the strike price. If I sell a call spread I need to have enough cash at hand to cover the worst case loss. I can’t sell naked calls. In particular, if I want to close out a call spread I have to buy back the short call before I can sell the long call. If you have the right broker you should be able to set up your account to allow the same sorts of option plays.
Review by FlatironsJR, August 18, 2009
I have 5 stocks from 12% in my portfolio all are in positive territory and I only buy the securities, I do not use the covered call strategy.
I do not expect returns of 30-50% in a year. It is a 12% letter and I have exceeded that.
As far as people signing up and having a stock drop 50% the next day; sometimes that happens. Every S&A editor will tell you to diversify and never be in a position to lose more than 1% of your total portfolio on an individual stock. using stops can limit your downside.
Review by John, August 30, 2009
12% Letter is one of the better services I have used - good for income or compounding oriented
investors. I have been with the service for several months now and am very pleased.
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